The Space Between
by yourmainsqueeze
Summary: A coming together. SakuraXGaara. Some drabbles connect to tell a story.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note:** This is AUish in the sense that Sasuke did not return to Konoha after the war, the war had actual political repercussions, lives were lost, and there wasn't a universally happy ending.

* * *

 **Contempt- Naruto**

He does not want to let her go.

Instead, he hangs back and watches the way she cradles patient files against her hip, watches the way the sunlight moves through her hair, watches the way she bites her lip in thought while another medic consults with her.

He does not want to let her go, so he delays the inevitable by delaying his mission. He will wait to deliver the message that will send her to Kakashi, that will begin a meeting that will change her life and ruin his. She will not be forced to say yes, but he already knows that she will.

He cannot stop the stab of pain that pierces his chest when she looks up and smiles at him in recognition.

"Naruto."

"Sakura-chan, the Hokage needs to see you."

 **Union- Sakura**

She does her best not to gape at Kakashi as he outlines the parameters of the proposal. Her relationships with the previous Hokage, the current Hokage, and the presumptive future Hokage make her privy to certain information, but this meeting still comes as a surprise.

According to some elders somewhere, Konoha and Suna need to strengthen their alliance, and Gaara needs a wife. Apparently, she is meant to be the convenient solution to both problems.

 **Shame- Gaara**

He clenches his jaw in disgust and does his best to look anywhere but Sakura's rapidly paling face.

He recalls her efforts during the war, the lives she saved and the sacrifices she made. Ironically, it is those very efforts that garnered the attention of his council and marked her as a worthy companion.

He risks a glance at her delicate form. She is intelligent, compassionate, and kind. She is strong, devoted, and unfaltering. How has see been reduced to this?

A muscle in his neck ticks at the tension thrumming through his body. She deserves so much more, and, yet, here he sits unable to protest at the prospect of calling her his.

 **Go- Sakura**

She does not mean to run, but she cannot help seeking a momentary reprieve. With a promise to reply by sunset and a nod from Gaara, she is out the door before Kakashi can say go. She needs her surrogate mother, and she needs her now.

Tsunade does not seem surprised by the suggested union with the Kazekage. She does not seem opposed to it either.

"If I recall correctly, you did not complain about your time spent in Suna during the war… or after it."

For the second time in one day, Sakura is struck dumb by a former sensei. Sure Sakura never complained about missions that put her in Suna, but that hardly meant she wished to live out her days there. Yes, she had grown fond of the sand siblings, but her relationship with Gaara is complicated. Honestly, she could more readily imagine marrying Kankuro.

"Go, Sakura."

Her mentor's words startle her from her internal musings.

"Go, move on, and begin living."

She hears what Tsunade says and what she leaves unsaid.

Because you have spent too much life waiting for a boy who is gone.

Because your single status gives Naruto false hope.

Because you are wasting so much potential.

Because you are not happy here, but you might learn to be somewhere else.

 **Grateful- Gaara**

She finds him in his quarters right around sunset. He greets her neutrally, but internally he is sick with anticipation.

"I accept your proposal."

He meets her gaze and releases a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"I will do my best to ensure that you never regret your decision."


	2. Chapter 2

**Powder- Temari**

It isn't the first time that she's noted Sakura's beauty. It is, however, the first time she has been so close to it. She cannot help but soften her graze at the vision that is the woman before her.

Though she has been tasked with helping Sakura prepare for the wedding ceremony, it has required very little effort on her part. Sakura has offered no opposition and endured the entire process with exceptional poise. Now moments before the event, she finds herself before the bride, a makeup brush held aloft.

Sakura arches a perfectly sculpted eyebrow in question, obviously concerned about her hesitation.

"It's nothing. Just… thank you."

She's certain Sakura does not yet fully comprehend the implications of what is about to happen, but she will be forever grateful for the girl's choice. She is convinced that Sakura will prove to be exactly what her baby brother needs.

 **Hands- Gaara**

Throughout the ceremony, he cannot stop looking at her hands. Lily white and as fine as her namesake flower, Sakura keeps her hands gently folded on her lap as she kneels beside him. He appreciates the duality of her hands, the deception and the honesty.

Outside, his people are already celebrating the union. In their minds, there is no better match for him than a beautiful, caring war hero like Sakura. His council sees her as a tool, a bridge between nations, and a symbol of his power. On a more personal level, his siblings see her as a link to humanity and goodness.

In her, he sees his salvation and his future.

 **Untouchable- Sakura**

As if political marriages weren't already complex enough, she has the additional burden of being married to Gaara. Now, with the ceremony and celebration behind them, Sakura is not sure what is expected of her. Will they have a traditional wedding night, or will the conventions of politics and their past stand in the way?

She is not sure what she prefers, a dismissal or an advance. She registers his closeness, but she is also very aware of his lack of contact. He seems to be hovering, waiting, unsure…

 **Touch- Gaara**

Her touch runs through him like an electric pulse.

He wants them to be intimate on every level, but he hadn't dared to hope that she would be so quick to establish a physical link between them. He lets his eyes drift shut, levels out his breathing, and gives her free reign to explore his body.

Her hand leaves his face and travels towards his Kage hat. She removes it before getting to work on his robes and other garments. He allows her to toil uninhibited until he loses his control and begins working on her kimono.

To his unimaginable relief, she makes no move to stop him.

 **Prayers- Kankuro**

Alone in the vibrating night that glows with revelers celebrating the marriage of their leader, he offers up a small prayer.

He prays that his brother will find comfort and joy in his new wife. He prays that Gaara will finally experience the things that he has so long been denied. He prays for a happily ever after.


	3. Chapter 3

I guess I'll mention that the drabble titles come from a thirty word prompt list.

* * *

 **Shining- Gaara**

"And how are the twins?"

Though focused on the figurehead before him, he is never unaware of Sakura and her utterance gives him pause. She is addressing the man's wife, a slip of a woman who he is certain he has never heard make a sound. The sickly woman becomes suddenly animated, and Sakura has the woman tumbling into a story about her children.

Six months into their marriage and she still manages to amaze him with her political acumen and social dexterity. He has worked with this man for nearly his entire political career, and yet has no knowledge of "the twins." It is at ridiculous administrative functions like these that Sakura consistently demonstrates her worth as _the partner of the Kazekage_.

He watches her navigate the room with such skill that she seems to shine. He should be thankful that she has been so well received within the governmental circles, so he tries to suppress his frustration and resentment. However, the discomfort in the pit of his stomach proves insurmountable.

How is it that she can speak to them with such ease, but still struggle to share her thoughts and feelings with him?

 **Life- Sakura**

It did not take long for them to establish their joint lives. They both rise early, head to their separate duties, and return late at night to fall back into bed. Some nights, when exhaustion has not overtaken him, Gaara will reach for her. She never stops him because she appreciates the release.

While the pattern has been set and she considers herself a satisfactory wife, she has to admit that she is still not fully used to the silence. She is used to light and laughter, but the stern gaze of her husband puts her on edge, and she is not quite sure how to bridge the gap between them.

 **Hidden- Temari**

"You have to let her know how you feel."

"Hn."

"With words."

"…"

 **Whispered- Gaara**

She's in their bedroom's adjoining bathroom brushing out her hair. Despite its spaciousness, this is a room that they usually navigate separately. He watches her from the doorframe, but hesitates to go any further. She catches his presence in the mirror and pauses her movements, a question in her eyes.

"I…just…how was your day?"

He hates his pathetic attempt at communication as much as he hates himself and—

"Pretty uneventful. Oh, actually there was this one patient…"

He doesn't hear the words so much as he's just caught up in the lyrical flow of her voice. He enters the room and positions himself on one of the lavishly carved bath stools. He watches her reposition herself to face him, watches the way she leans causally against the sink and waves her brush to emphasize her story. She laughs at her story's finale, and he cannot stop the smile that cracks through his habitually impassive facade.

From the moment he sought her out in Konoha with his proposal, and perhaps quite a bit before, this was all he ever wanted. Her talking to him like it's easy, like it's normal.

 **Enjoy- Sakura**

Without really realizing it, she comes to look forward to their nightly meetings in the bathroom. They are always simple exchanges, but, for her, they are the promise of what might be.

Suddenly, they are talking and the silence is slipping slowly away. They are still far from baring their souls to one another, but she likes these little shaky steps they are taking towards each other.


End file.
